Umahi compares Lagos-Calabar coastal highway to streets of heaven

Minister of Works Dave Umahi has described the beauty of the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as nothing short of divine, saying it’s so stunning that it inspires one to seek heaven.

Speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Sunday, April 6, 2025, the minister couldn’t hide his excitement about the project’s visual appeal.

“I was there; I was so, so excited,” Umahi said. “And I said, if the street of the coastal highway can be this beautiful, how beautiful will the streets of heaven look? It makes us want to do better and make heaven.”

The 750km coastal superhighway, designed to connect Lagos to Calabar with stops across key southern states, is one of President Bola Tinubu’s flagship infrastructure projects.

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Umahi revealed that the first 30km of section one will be ready for the President's commissioning on May 25, 2025.

He also highlighted some engineering challenges, including the elevation of the road above ocean flood levels, which has left surrounding buildings below road grade.

“That has put a lot of adjoining buildings in a very serious situation, as our road level is at the level of their first decking. So we’re constructing retaining walls all through,” he explained.

According to Umahi, section one of the project spans 47.47km with six lanes—three in each direction—and a 12-meter-wide train track running through the middle. Bridges are also integrated along the corridor.

Construction on the Calabar axis begins on April 14, followed by Akwa Ibom the next day, and Ebonyi State on April 16.

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“The six geopolitical zones are covered by the four legacy projects of Mr. President,” Umahi noted.